By Morris Aron
Golf, a sport ordinarily considered a recreation for the economic elite is taking a new definition come October.
That is when Kenya’s only public foundation — Kenya Community Development Foundation (KCDF) — turns to the sport to get corporates’ attention to social and economic ills bedevilling the country.
The event that has already drawn the attention of key donors, a number of blue chip companies and notable dignitaries including Chief Justice Willy Mutunga will be the first of its kind in Kenya.
The plan is simple: To use the sport to initiate ways of getting information about difficulties various communities face and how to help them overcome.
Then, the companies, sponsors and individuals will take up a cause to champion.
Changed lives
The event’s participants will be shown projects other companies have sponsored and how these have changed the lives of the beneficiaries.
A similar-styled event will be held in Oregon State in the US later this month to support a local county wrestling team.
The entrance fee will cater for golf, cart and lunch. All proceeds from the game will directly benefit the wrestling programme.
Janet Mawiyoo, the chief executive of the foundation, says her staff members, during a brainstorming session, settled on the golf day idea as the best way to address social and economic challenges with the aim of finding a self-sustaining solution.
“Donations come and go. What is important is teaching communities how to to better their lives,” says Mawiyoo.
Since its inception in 1997, the foundation has leveraged on the strength of sponsors and targeted corporate social responsibility schemes to fund its initiatives. Some of its notable activities include addressing challenges faced by the girl child.
The organisation does this by advocating for policy changes towards greater protection of girls from violence and discrimination in school and at home.
The foundation has an on going initiative — the Global Give Back Circle — that provides girls from disadvantaged backgrounds, many of them orphans, the opportunity to acquire quality education, life skills, work readiness exposure and financial support to escape the cycle of poverty. So far, it has supported 535 girls.
Besides education, the foundation also helps communities achieve food security.
More than 50 communities in all the 47 counties have benefitted from the programme — projects receive grants of between Sh300,000 and Sh1 million.
“In the end, the ideal scenario we are looking at is when the corporates’ desires in addressing social and economic challenges match the needs of communities and the two are linked up,” said Mawiyoo.
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